Single Girl Society: Don’t Feel Sorry For Yourself Over The Holidays

In the last year, it seems as though being single has been my specialty. While flings and hookups have come and gone (pun intended) and dates have left me with some less than desirable memories, my current single status has remained loyally by my side. I’ve learned a lot in the past year and I’ve discovered that single girls around the world are all in the same fabulous pair of shoes.

So if you’re sick of sitting at a table for one, eating a meal portioned for two, I cordially invite you to join The Single Girl Society, where being single is more than status, it’s a lifestyle. Of course, with everything in life, the single girl lifestyle comes with rules and I’ve picked up quite a few along the way. So kick back, grab a drink and let the lessons I’ve learned serve as your very own roadmap to transitioning to and enduring the single life.

Now that the Winter-Break-calm-after-finals-hell storm has settled in and you’ve caught up on all your laundry and CW dramas, grab a spiked hot apple cider and all yo’ single ladies for the next lesson of single life.

Lesson 3: Don’t feel sorry for yourself over the holidays!

Of course it would be amazing to magically wake up this Christmas morning in the arms of a Ryan Gosling clone to mimosas for breakfast with a side of the newest Marc Jacobs handbag as the first of many gifts to come. But if your holiday season is shaping up to be anything like mine, the heartwarming scene of breakfast and a boyfriend in bed is not likely this year. But there’s no need to feel sorry for me or for yourself – instead appreciate the silver lining and be glad you don’t have to stress over another gift to buy.

As your attached girlfriends drag you to the mall to help them pick Christmas presents for their significant others for the third time this week, it’s easy to feel singled out. (Pun intended.) I’ve been there. So after the mall you go home, crank the Mariah Carey Christmas album and intermittently sob while you sing the lyrics to “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”

Oh wait, that’s just me?

There’s just something about this gift-giving season that makes every couple more affectionate than usual. I mean, do you ever see couples go this PDA-crazy for Veteran’s Day? Maybe it’s the cold weather that makes couples everywhere feel the need to vertically spoon in public places or maybe it’s just the Christmas spirit; either way Christmas is like crack for couples. They love it. And you know what? I’m all for it. Go ahead! Embrace each other this holiday season – could you just not do it in front of the counter at Starbucks while I wait in line behind you?

Sure, the winter holidays are a great time to be in a relationship but remember that it’s not mandatory. Christmas is not Valentine’s Day. It’s not just for couples and it’s not the end of the world if you’re spending it without someone “special.” And Christmas is just one day. Though it doesn’t seem like it right now as people gear up for the holiday, putting up lights, buzzing around the mall and fighting with the post office over shipping costs – all the hype is for one day. So don’t get hung up on spending one day, which just happens to be Christmas, alone.

The holidays are what you make of them. The more you feel sorry for yourself that you don’t have anyone to share them with, the more you take away from the fun you could be having instead. My advice this holiday season? Surround yourself with family and friends if you can; but if you cant or if you’ve already had enough family “fun” this season, don’t be afraid to make your own version of Christmas!

Watch your favorite movies even if they aren’t Christmas themed. Eat your favorite foods even if that means chasing some Christmas ham with Reddi-Wip. Instead of donning your Christmas best, rock your favorite pajamas all day long. Christmas is still a day off so DO make it worth it and make it perfect for you. DON’T spend it drunk and wallowing to Nick and Jessica’s version of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”

Take the money you would have spent on a gift for that dream S.O. and spend it on yourself. No matter what the price range – whether it’s hitting the dollar spot at Target or hitting Nordstrom with a Black Am Ex or somewhere in between – I really suggest doing this for yourself. Buy something completely unnecessary (Michael Kors watch, anyone?) that you’ve been wanting. Splurge if you have to! Every time you use that gift, you’ll have your single life to thank for it. It’ll remind you that being single during the holidays is not a burden; it’s a gift!